From Fairyland to Fairyland

In his later life Yeats looked towards freedom and sought liberty, both politically, siding with Home Rule, and also artistically from London and it's academies. This was not only expressed through his unique application of paint and colour onto canvas, using thick impasto strokes to apply paint to the surface of his media, but also in his choice of subject matter. From Fairyland to Fairyland demonstrates this point very well. Yeats uses his imagination, drawing influence from gaelic folklore and legends to create this dreamlike image.
Yeats' swirls and streaks of paint blurs the background and surrounding area to emphasise the fictional scene. Yet within this world of make-believe Yeats paints two recognisable subjects; a boat and person upon it. Raising questions and denying answers, Yeats lets the viewer decide on the story he has created.